MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China’s illegal seizure of fish concentration devices for Filipino fishermen in a disputed lagoon running through Beijing in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry said the incident occurred three months ago in Scarborough Shoal, a prime-time fishery seized through Beijing in 2012 after a deadlock that caused an unprecedented foreign legal challenge across Manila.
In a late statement on Thursday, he provided no additional points about the incident, but also protested “the continued illegal transmissions of radio-demanding situations to Philippine aircraft conducting valid normal maritime patrols.”
The Chinese coast guard warns foreign planes and ships crossing and flying over foreign waters.
The Philippine demonstration comes amid considerations in the region and across the United States and its allies about what they see as provocative China’s activities and army training on the disputed parts of the strategic waterway.
Vietnam complained Thursday about the presence of Chinese bombers in the Paracel Islands.
China claims historical ownership of the maximum ancient maps of the South China Sea, which it says is evidence of sovereignty. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims.
On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry insisted that its coast guard enforce the law in Chinese waters.
The Scarborough Shoal is located in the Philippines exclusive economic zone of 200 miles and an arbitration court in The Hauge ruled in 2016 that China’s claim opposing it, and at most to the South China Sea, was unfounded under foreign law.
China accused the Philippine plane on Friday of violating its sovereignty.
“The Chinese aspect suggested the Philippine aspect of ending these illegal and provocative actions,” ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a briefing.
Using frigates changed to Coast Guard ships, China has for years blocked the Filipinos from Scarborough Shoal, about 209 km from the Philippines and a few miles from the Chinese island of Hainan.
The coast guard after 2017 allowed the return of some Filipinos, due to President Rordrigo Duterte’s ties to Beijing.
(Additional report through Cate Cadell in Beijing; edited through Martin Petty)
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